Manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes



Nov. 17, 1959 D. w. MOLINS ETAL 2,912,987

MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES "Filed Jan. 18, 1956 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 besnoub w. Maul; N'nmm V. Unkson a Wm M, 9 Arron/v93 Nov. 17,1959 D. w. MOLINS ETAL MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1956 22* l M, Wm

ATTOM/E)$ D. w. MO LINS ETAL MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Nov, 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 18, 1956 3$N in 70K MM Eu: V w W i BM Y ma Nov. 17, 1959 D. w. MOLINS ETAL MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 18, 1956 wwzwrqes Drama w.

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ATTOANAXS United States Patent MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPECE CIGAREI'IES Application January 18, 1956, Serial No. 559,946

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 28, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 131-94) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes which are made by uniting lengths of wrapped cigarette rod with lengths of mouthpiece material by means of a uniting band which is wrapped and secured around the parts to be united.

For convenience a mouthpiece portion will hereinafter he referred to as a stub, which word shall be understood as including any portion (whether of the length required in a finished cigarette or double that length) of mouthpiece material that is suitable for incorporation in a mouthpiece cigarette, and may consist of a piece of filtering material, or a hollow tube, orany other suitable piece-of material (including tobacco) that is different from the tobacco contained in the remainder of the cigarette, or any combination of the foregoing. Well-known examples of stubs are those often known as filter-tips, which are intended to filter the smoke. Stubs are often made of folded or bunched wads'of paper enclosed in a wrapper.

Lengths of wrapped cigaretted rod suitable for uniting with stubs, and each of a length suitable for an individual mouthpiece cigarette, will be referred to here-.

in as cigarette lengths.

A group consisting of a double-length stub arranged between, and in axial alignment and'endwise abutment with, two cigarette lengths, and united to those cigarette lengths by a uniting band, will for convenience be referred to herein as an assemblage. The'expres-.

sion' double-length stub is to be understood'as meaning, a stubwhich is double the length required in an individual mouthpiece cigarette.

According to thepresent invention there isprovided a method of making mouthpiece cigarettes, comprising the axially aligned cigarette lengths with a mm between and in axial alignment with them, feeding each said group lengthwise towards means to apply a uniting band to the stub and the end portions of the cigarette" lengths, and regulating said feeding by engaging the 1 leading cigarette length in such a way as frictionally to prevent its forward movement until the group is positively fed forward by a pusher engagingthe rear cigaret'te length of the group and moving in timed relationship with said means to apply a uniting band, whereby the cigarette lengths and stub arebrought into endwise abutment and the forward feeding of theabutted group is correctly timed relatively to the feeding of its. uniting band. Thesaid cigarette lengths may be spaced apart,

' "to convey a group'leng'thw se from 'sald'umting means,

and fed endwise immediately after being severedfrom'.

the continuous rod of a cigarette-making machine.

Fnrther according to; the present invention there' is provided a method of making'mouthp'iec'ecigarettes by assembling and uniting axially aligned groups of cig arette lengths and double-length stubs in each of which groups the stub lies between the cigarette lengths, the said cigarette lengths and stubs being of any desired length, comprising the steps of feeding the cigarette lengths endwise in succession with spaces of any desired size be-,

tween their ends, at least every second space being large enough for the insertion thereinto of the longest stub required, feeding uniting bands at a constant rate for application to said groups, feeding a stub into every second space to form a group, feeding said groups forwardly at a constant rate by pushing the rear cigarette length of each group in timed relationship to the feeding of the uniting band for that group, and engaging the leading cigarette length of each group so as to prevent it from moving forwardly until the group as a whole is abutted and pushed forwardly by pushing the rear cigarette length as aforesaid.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, comprising in combination, means to feed cigarette lengths endwise in spaced succession,'stub-feeding means to feed a double-length stubinto the space behind every second cigarette length, so as to form successive groups each consisting of two axially aligned cigarette lengths with a stub between and axially aligned with them, abutting means to cause endwise abutment between the cigarette lengths and stub of a group, and uniting means to apply an adhesive uniting band to the stub and the end portions of the cigarette lengths of a group, said abutting means comprising a pusher arranged to engage the rear cigarette of the group and operated in timed relationship with said uniting means, and control means, including a, stationary member, arranged to engage the leading cigarette length of saidgroup and prevent its forward movement until the said group is positively fed forwardly by said pusher.

The said control means may include a stationary surface to support the leading cigarette length, and a resilient member (e.g. a brush) arranged to press lightly against said length while the latter is on said stationary surface, whereby the said length is lightly gripped between said surface and said resilient member. The said pusher may be carried by an endless conveyor which moves it into and out of'the path of the cigarette lengths at' the desired times. Theyapparatus may comprise arette lengths of any desiredlength, and means to space means to feed them endwise. V v

The 'apparatus'may further comprise'conveyor means said lengths' a'part endwise and'to deliver them to said apairlo'f discs, positioned one in advance of the other at; oppositeside's of the 'said conveyor means so'as to engage the extending e'd'ge'portions of the uniting band so as to guidesaid edge portions into overlapping re lationship about thestub and end portions 'ofthe cigarette lengths of said group, and a presser member to engage the outer of said overlapped edge portions and press it-against theinner of said edge portions. The said discs may besorarranged; and the uniting band fed and applled to-the studand end-portions of the cigarette lengths of a groupin such a way, thatthewhole of one side of thebandis appliedby oneof said discs to the group,,while only apart of the other side of theband is applied by the.otherdisc to' the group, the edge portion. ofsaid other side extending over the edge portion of the first said side to be pressed against the latter by said presser-member. The apparatus may comprise heating means to heat the said presser-member.

The 'apparatus may further comprise a tubularpassage through which a group is passed after the application thereto of an adhesive uniting band, part of an inner surface of said passage being heated and arranged to engage the lap of said uniting band. It may also comprise a conveyor tape which carries the said group through said passage, the inner surface of said passage being so shaped as to form the said tape to substantially semi-circular cross-section about part of the circumferential area of said cigarette lengths and stub, while the said heated part engages substantially the remainder of said area. The said stub-feeding means may comprise a guideway to guide stubs towards spaces between cigarette lengths, means to deposit stubs in succession on said guideway, means to propel stubs in succession along said guideway, and pusher means operable in timed relationship with said abutting means to engage successive stubs and push them from said guideway into said spaces. The means to propel stubs along the said guideway may comprise an air-jet device.

Means may be provided to arrest the movement of a stub along said guideway until it is engaged by said pusher means. The said means to arrest the movement of a stub may comprise an abutment movable into and out of the path of said stub in timed relationship with said pusher means. The stubs may be pushed (e.g. horizontally) in an arcuate path towards said spaces.

Still further according to the invention there is provided in apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, in which axially aligned stubs and cigarette lengths are united while moving axially by wrapping adhesiveuniting bands about endwise abutting stubs and cigarette lengths, means to apply said bands to a part only of the circumferential surfaces'of abutting cigarette lengths and stubs, a first rotatable element (e.g. a disc) positioned to engage one side of a band so as to fold the free edge ofsaid band on that side into contact with said circumferential surfaces, a second rotatable element positioned so as, subsequently to engage the other side of said band and foldit partially at least into contact,with said surfaces; telg. while causing theextreme edge portion of said; other side to extend partially over the part first.folded),

and a heated element positioned to engage said extreme end portion so as to hold it in overlapping contact with the part first folded and simultaneously to apply heat to the band to dry the adhesive.

The said heated element may have a concave operative surface and forms part of a tubular passage through which the united cigarette lengths and stubs pass. The apparatus maycomprise a conveyor tape which carries the united cigarette lengths and stubs through said passage, the inner surface of said passage being so shaped as to form the said tape to substantially semi-circular crosssection about part of the circumferential area of said cigarette lengths and stubs, while the said heated element engages substantially the remainder of said area.

Still further according to the invention there is provided in apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, in

which stubs are fed into spaces between the ends ofv cigarette lengths, stub-feeding means comprising a guide: way to guide stubs towards said spaces, means to deposit stubs in succession on said guideway, means to propel stubs in succession along said guideway, and pusher means arranged at predetermined times to engage suc cessive stubs and push them from said guideway into said,

may be pushed (e.g. horizontally) in an arcuate path towards said spaces.

Apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

The means Figure 1 is a plan view of apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation of part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a further part of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows part of Figure 1 to an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of some of the apparatusshown in Figures 1, 3 and 4;-

Figure 6 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow A, Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a modification; and

Figures 8 and 9 illustrates the folding of uniting bands.

The apparatus illustrated is used in combination with an ordinary cigarette-making machine of the continuous rod type, in which, as is well known, a continuous wrapped cigarette rod is formed and fed lengthwise, and is cut at intervals to form cigarettes, or cigarette lengths as they are described herein. The apparatus is located beyond the cut-off of the cigarette-making machine in such a way that the travel of the cigarette lengths while being assembled with stubs and formed into assemblages is in line with the cigarette rod.

Referring first to Figure 1, the cigarette rod coming from the cigarette machine (not shown) is cut into cigarette lengths by a cut-off device contained in a casing marked CO. and are conveyed forwardly by a conveyor tape 101 and. a pair of cables 102, the tape and cables being arranged to move faster than the rod so as to accelerate and separate the cigarette lengths. The speed of the tape and cables relative to the cigarette rod is such as to space the cigarette lengths a sufficient distance apartto enable a double-length stub to be inserted into the spacebehind every second cigarette length. Preferably this speeddififerenceis such as to form spaces large. nough to accommodate the longest double-length stubs that are likely to be used, so that the spacing will be more than adequate for shorter lengths. The speeds of thevarious parts of the machine can then remain constant no matter what length cigarettes are being made.

A stub-feeding device is arranged alongside the tape 1. This comprises a hopper 103 (Figure 2) to contain stub lengths, each length being six times the length required in a cigarette. These are fed into flutes in a group of rotatable discs 104, and knives (not shown) out each multiple length into three, each of which is a doublelength stub. These double-length stubs are transferred into the flutes of a fluted drum 105 by stepped hammers formed on three arms 106 which extend downwardly from a rock-shaft 107 which rocks the arms to and fro. At each forward stroke of the arms the hammers engage three stubs in three different flutes of the discs 104 and push them into three corresponding flutes of the drum 105. The operation of this device is similar to that of the stub-feeding device disclosed in the complete specification of United States patent application, Serial No. 480,403, now abandoned.

Rotation of the drum 105 in the direction shown by the arrow, Figure 2, brings each flute in turn into its lowermost position in which it is immediately above a table or guideway 108, on to which each stub in turn is dropped.

A blowing device with a nozzle 109 arranged in line with the lowermost flute of the drum 105 is arranged to blow a jet of air endwise against each stub deposited on the table or guideway 108, so as to blow it lengthwise alongthe guideway. One such stub S is shown in Figure 1' being blown lengthwise between side guides 109 and 110. An arcuate guide 111, Figure 1, guides the stubs in a curved path, and a brush 112 is located above this curved path and arranged to engage and arrest stubs momentarily.

A rotatable stub wheel 113, Figure 1, has a flat, radial surface 114 which engages a stub which has been arrested by the brush and carries it on to the tape 101. This wheel is timed to push a stub on to the tape between two spaced cigarette lengths, and places one stub immediately behind every second cigarette length which is carried along by the tape. The stub S shown in Figure 1 will in this way be moved into the space immediately behind the cigarette length L when the latter has moved to an appropriate position.

Since a brush such as 112 tends to wear with use, in an alternative arrangement a movable stop is provided instead of the brush 112. This alternative arrangement is illustrated in Figure 7. A pin 201 passes through a hole in the end of a lever 202 which is pivoted at 203. The lever carries a cam roller 204, which rides on a face cam 205. The cam 205 is arranged beneath the stub wheel .113 and rotates with it. Rotation of the cam causes the pin 201 to be moved a short distance up and down once during each revolution of the cam, and hence of the stub wheel 113. The table or guideway 108 is provided with an aperture through which the pin can rise so as to stand in the path of a stub which is being blown along the table, and so as to arrest the stub until the pushing surface 114 of the stub-wheel reaches the stub. The timing of the cam is such that the pin is lowered out of the path of the stub at the moment when the pusher 114 is about to engage the rear end of the stub.

The pin 201 is held in position by an adjusting screw 206, and its lower end engages a compression spring 207 by which it is urged upwardly and the cam roller held against the cam 205. The movement of the pin can be such that it rises only a very short distance above the surface of the table 108, for example, it may project 1% mm. above the surface.

A transparent cover plate 208 (not shown in Figure 1) is mounted above the table 108, and in the arrangement shown in Figure 7 a small leaf spring 209 is fixed to the plate 1' *8 and extends downwardly so as to press lightly on the stubs, and thus helps to control a stub which is arrested by the pin 201.

Thus groups are formed each consisting of two cigarette lengths with a stub between them. Such a group is shown in Figure 1, consisting of the cigarette lengths L L and stub S Each such group is to be united to form an -assemblage. I

A series of pusher-elements consisting of lugs 116 on an endless chain 117 is provided to cause endwise abut ment of the cigarette lengths and 'stub which form each of these groups. The chain passes 'over' sprockets 118 and 119, the sprocket 118 being above and coaxial'with" the Wheel 113. Each'lug 116 in turn is' moved into the path ofthe cigarette lengths on the tape 101 and moves along that pathat the speed of the tape,a little distance behind a cigarette length such as the length L A: brush 120, Figure 3, engages the leading cigarette,

length ofa group, such as the length L? in Figure 1,

and arrests its forward movement so that the stub behind: itcan overtake it and the rearmost' cigarette length, such,

as-L can overtake the stub. When abutment between these three parts is complete, the brush 120 continues to prevent fo'rwardrnovement of the leading cigarette length,

(and-thus of the whole 'abutted group), until the lug 116 overtakes the rearmost cigarette length andpushes it and the whole group forwardly at the speed "of the;

tape .1015

The brush 120 co-operates with a stationary bridge 121 on to whichthe cigarette lengths and stubs; 'pass from the itape'101-so that the leading cigarette length is lightly] gripped between the brush'120 brush 120 :is omitted other-parts;

The chain117v carrying the lugs 116is driven in timed and the bridge 12-1'. The from'Figure l to avoid obscuring relationship with means, shortly to be described, by' whichguniting :bands of tipping lmaterialu are appli'ed" to -the stub and cigarettelengths of each groupin order Each lug 116 is pivotally mounted at 122 on a linli' of the chain 117 and has a tail 123 connected by a link 124 to a projection 125 fixed on the chain behind the lug 116. Thus the angular position of the lug is controlled by the projection 125, and as long as the part of the chain carrying the projection 125 is moving in a straight path, the angular position of the lug 116 remains approximately at right angles to the straight path of the cigarette lengths and stubs. Accordingly when the lug 116 starts moving around the sprocket 119, the lug swings backwardly to maintain its angular position at right angles to the cigarettes and stubs while withdrawing from their path. When the projection 125 starts to move about the sprocket 119, the lug swings forwardly, but by this time it is clear of the cigarette length that it has been pushing. This arrangement enables the lug to be withdrawn smoothly without imparting any excess movement to the cigarette length.

The bridge 121 partly overhangs a suction drum 126, on to which a web 127 of tipping material is fed, and is cut into lengths by a knife 128. The knife is slidable lengthwise in a guide 128a, being urged rearwardly by a tension spring as shown in Figure 3, and the rear end of the knife is struck by a hammer 129 to project the knife against the web on the drum. The web is fed to the drum at a controlled speed slower than the peripheral speed of the drum, and thus the drum slips beneath it, while the severed lengths are carried away at the faster speed and thus spaced apart.

The drum has ports'220 on its periphery which communicate with a suction chamber 221, and with a further chamber 222 to which air is supplied under pressure so that air is blown outwardly through the ports which at any moment are in register with the chamber 222.

Each length cut from the web 127 constitutes a uniting band, which. is applied to a stub and to the inner ends of two cigarettes which abut the stub.

As a uniting band reaches the position at which it is applied to a stub and the abutting cigarette lengths, air is blown against its under-surface through the ports in the drum, and tends to urge the sides of the uniting band upwardly so as to cause the band partly to wrap itself about the cigarette lengths and stub.

A wheel 130 is located above the drum 126 to engage cigarette lengths and stubs passing over the drum. The

wheel 130 is preferably rotated with a peripheral speed slightly lessthan the linear speed'of the tape 101 seats the .tape 131.

As a group consisting of two cigarette lengths and stub passes over the suction'drum' 126, a gummed uniting" band is applied to itin the' manner described'above. The

lug 116 continues to push the group lengthwise until after 5 the uniting band has been applied and the group in passing beneath the wheels 130 and 230, between which andthe suction drum 126 and tape 131 the group is'by this time gripped and controlled. The lug 116 then withdraws the manner describedabove.

It. will be seen from the above descriptiohthatvthe" feeding ofv each group to the-means to apply a uniting band is timed by a lug 116 on thechain" 117, since the leading cigarettelengthof each'group' is frictionally'held by'the brush 120Iandbridge 121 and thereby' positively prepvented from moving forwardly until it" is pushed forwardlyby the stub which in turn is pushed by the rear" cigarette when the latter is engaged and'pushed forwardly ff by a lug116; ..This arrangementensuresthat each 'gr'oup isflfirmlyiabutted by; the time a uniting b'a'nd 'is applied,

wheel 130 and tape 131 whose operative surfaces move slower. than the lugs 116.

A further advantageof this arrangement is that it enables the apparatus to work at the same speed irrespective of the'length of cigarettes being'made. For example, if the cut-off device is adjusted to cut off longer cigarette lengths, longer. assemblages will be formed, and an abutted group will obviously be correspondingly longer. ln such a case the timing of the lugs 116 must be suitably adjusted (i.e. the lugs must be set back) so that each lug willstart to push an abutted group at the same time as was the case where shorter cigarettes were being made. The speeds of the chain 117, tapes 101 and 131, and wheel 130, however, can remain unchanged, as can the operation of the drum 126- and knife 128 inrsupplying the uniting bands, since the position of the stubs will be determined by that of the lugs 116, which as stated above must be adjusted. Again, longer or shorter stubs can be used, without having to alter the speeds of the conveyors or the uniting means.

As has been stated above, the means for spacing out the cigarette lengths endwise as they leave the cut-off is arranged to form spaces large enough to receive the longest double-length stubs that are likely to be used. It should be further stated here that the difierence between the speed of the cigarette rod and that of the tape 101 and cables 162 is such that adequate spaces for the longest stubs will be formed between the cigarette lengths irrespective of the lengths of the latter. In this connection it is pointed out that, in accordance with known cigarettemachine practice, the length of a cigarette length is changed by altering the timing of the cut-oii device so that it severs the rod less or more frequently, as the case may be, while the speed of the rod remains the same. As the speed of the tape 101 and cables 102 also remains the same in the present construction for all lengths of cigarettes, it will be seen that if, for example, the cut-off is adjusted to cut ofl longer lengths than before, these lengths will be spaced apart by shorter distances than were the shorter lengths, previously cut. Accordingly the speed difference between the rod and the tape 101 should be sufficient so that the longest lengths likely to be required will be spaced apart sufiiciently for the reception between two successive lengths of the longest stub likely to be required.

It will therefore be seen that the original spacing between the cigarette lengths will dilfer in extent according to the longitudinal size of these lengths, and also the amount of closing up required when the cigarette lengths and stub of a group are being abutted endwise will depend on the length of the cigarette lengths and the length of the stub, for any particular mouthpiece cigarette being made. 'In all cases, however, the leading cigarette length of each group in turn is arrested by being gripped between the brush 120 and the bridge 121, and cannot move further forwardly until the whole group has been abutted and is pushed forward bodily by a lug 116. As the movement of this lug is in all cases timed so that it pushes the group on to the drum 126 at the correct moment for a uniting band to be accurately applied to the stub and end portions of the two cigarette lengths of the group, it. will be seen that mouthpiece cigarettes of different length and comprising stubs of different length, can be made without altering the speed of the apparatus as a whole, merely by altering the timing of the cut-otf and the timing of the lugs 116 on the chain 117, but without altering the speed of the chain 117.

The plate 132 has -a semi-circular groove in its upper surface and is provided with folders 133 and 134 which fold the tape 131 to U cross-section. The uniting band which has been applied to a stub and to the end portions of the two cigarette lengths abutting it, is thus folded by the tape 131 partly about the stub and cigarette lengths.

As the apparatus by which .the -,groups' of cigarette lengths and stubsjare assembled and united forms an addi-.

tion to an ordinary,cigarette-making machine, it is im-.

portant; for factory considerations, to reduceits sizeas; far as practicable and in particular to keep it short so.

- that the cigarette machine is lengthened as little as :is'

practicable.-

For this reason the folding of the upstanding edge v portions of the uniting bands about stubs, and the end portions of cigarette lengths abutting them, is not effected by conventional: fixed folders, but two rotatable discs and 136, arranged one a little in advance of the,

other on opposite sides of the tape 131, are provided in.

order. to fold firstone and then the other side of a hand against each group. These discs are arranged horizontally as. shown, and accordingly each disc is capable of folding or wiping a uniting band into contact with only alimited. part of the cylindrical surfaces of a stub and- That is to say, neither discwhen applied to a group is a little offset laterally of the centre-line of the stub and cigarette lengths, so that the;

first side of the-band to be folded-thatis, the side which is folded by the disc -is shorter than the other. This.

shorter side is of such a length that when it is folded-into contact with the cylindrical side of the stubs and cigarette lengths its extreme edge lies along, ora little below, a, line extending along the topmost part of the stubs and cigarette lengths as illustrated in Figure 6. If it were. longer, the extreme edge portion would tend toextend,

horizontally beyond that line, out of contact with the;

stub and cigarette lengths, and to ensure a good-seam, anadditional folder. would have to be provided, between the two discs, to ensure that this extending edge portion should be stuck down properly before the completion of;

the lap. Such an additional folder is undesirable inthe preseutcase since it would add to the length of the;

apparatus.

The second side of the band to be folded, by the disc 136, of course, will extend more or less horizontally'be yond the topmost line mentioned above, as illustrated in Figure 9, and the seam is not completed until the extending edge portion is folded down over the side first folded. This however does not result in the disadvantage explained above concerning'the first fold, because this edge portion is the overlapping one and can be pressed down by the heater which dries the seam and which will,

shortly be referred to.

The discs 135 and 136 are mounted to be freely rotatable so as to reduce wear and .also to facilitate cleaning, and arerotated. by the tape 131.

Immediately beyond the disc folders, side guides 137 and 133 are provided on the plate 132. The inner, edges of these guides are each curved to an arc in continuation of the semi-circular groove in the plate 132, as seen in Figures 5 and 6. Above the plate 132 is a heater'139- provided with a heated element 140. The element 140 has its lower edge curved to an are as shown in Figures 5 and 6; and is so arranged that this concave lower edge substantially or nearly fills the space between the guides 137 and 138. Thus the grooved plate 132, the guides 137 and 138, and the heater element 140 together define a tubular passage through which the cigarette lengths and stubs are conveyed by the tape 131. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the tape 131 is formed to semi-circular cross-section in this tubular passage, and the edges of thev tape are just clear of the heater element 140.

At the end of the heater element first met with by the to pass beneath it. Since as just mentioned the heaterelement has a concave lower edge, whose curvature substantially corresponds to that of the cigarette Iengths'and'" stubs, the extending lap of the uniting band, after passing beneath the upwardly curved part of the heater, will be pressed down against the previously folded part of the band and so complete the seam.

The heater is electrically heated, and can be heated to a very high temperature, depending on the length of the heater and the speed at which the cigarette lengths and stubs move past it. Where cigarettes are being made at a rate of about 1,200 per minute, the temperature of the heater can, in the construction shown, be upward of 300 C. The heater is movably mounted so that it can, when desired, be moved away from the rest of the passage.

The dimensions of the passage are such that the cigarette lengths and stubs are as far as is practicable, an exact fit within the space bounded by the tape 131 and the heater element 140. Thus the tape holds a uniting band firmly around the cigarette lengths and stub to which it has been applied. At the same time the heater engages the lap, and the uniting band is thus sealed in place while the parts being united are maintained in their cylindrical shape by the tubular passage. Further, the whole of the uniting band is held against the stub and cigarette lengths during this final sealing of the lap.

It will be understood that whereas a uniting band is wrapped around the whole circumference of a stub, it normally extend over only a small part of a cigarette length, for example to about 3 mm. from the end adjoining the stub. Thus it is particularly important that it should be stuck firmly to the whole of the narrow area of the cigarette length which it covers, since otherwise the tobacco-filled part of the mouthpiece cigarette may work loose from the stub, or there may be gaps between the cigarette-paper and the uniting band, through which air can pass when the cigarette is smoked. It may sometimes happen that the stub is slightly oversizethat is to say, slightly larger in cross-section than the cigarette lengths to which it is to be united. This could result in the uniting band being tightly wrapped around the oversize stub, but loosely wrapped around the cigarette lengths. In the construction according to the present invention, the passage can be so dimensioned that any slightly oversize stub will be compressed by the band 131 and the heater element 140 to the desired size, that is, the size of the adjoining cigarette lengths. In this way the diameter of the tube formed by the uniting'band can be determined not necessarily by the original size of the stub but by the dimensions of the passage. As the lap of the uniting band is being sealed while the whole of the band is being held against the cigarette lengths and stub, no slip of any material extent is likely to occur once the wrap-around has been completed, since by the time the united elements pass out of the passage the adhesive at the lap will be at least sufilciently dry to hold the overlapped parts of the band in position.

In the same way, any stub which may not be perfectly round in cross-section tends to be formed to the desired cylindrical shape by the tubular passage, and this also assists in obtaining good adhesion and a secure joint.

The wrapping and securing of a uniting band about a stub and two adjoining cigarette lengths forms an assemblage. Assemblages such as that shown in Figure 1 and identified by the reference A, passing from the heater 140, are carried by the tape 131 in front of a pusher device consisting of a flat plate 141 mounted on a pair of rotating crank discs 142. A roller 143 arranged to be rotated at high speed is mounted alongside the tape 131 at a level such that its lowermost cylindrical surfaces engage an assemblage pushed towards it by the pusher 141. The tape 131 at this stage runs over a stationary surface 144, and each assemblage in turn is pushed sideways off the tape and across the surface 144 until it is gripped between the surface and the roller 143, whereupon its lengthwise movement is rapidly arrested. The roller 143, which is coated with soft sponge rubber, moves the assemblages in turn into successive flutes in a rotating drum 145, by which the assemblages are carried past a rotating disc knife 146 which passes through a slot 147 in the drum. Converging fixed guides 148 are provided at the ends of the drum to align the assemblages correctly as they are carried towards the knife by the drum, so that they shall be cut accurately at their mid-portions.

The drum is also provided with slots 149, Figure 1, to accommodate stripper elements 150 which strip the cut cigarettes from the flutes of the drum. The completed cigarettes roll down the strippers on to a catcher band 151 by which they are carried in two rows in the direction shown by the arrow, and from which they can be collected in any convenient desired way.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, comprising in combination a conveyor band to feed cigarette lengths endwise in spaced succession, stub-feeding means to feed a double-length stub into the space behind every second cigarette length, so as to form successive groups spaced endwise from each other and each consisting of two axially aligned cigarette lengths with a stub between and axially aligned with them, abutting means to cause endwise abutment between the cigarette lengths and stub of a group, and uniting means to apply an adhesive uniting band to the stub and the end portions of the cigarette lengths of a group, said abutting means comprising a pusher arranged to engage the rear cigarette of the group and operated in timed relationship with said uniting means, and control means, including a stationary member, said stationary member being formed to provide a surface to support the leading cigarette length, and a resilient member arranged to press lightly against said length while the latter is on said surface, whereby the said length is lightly gripped and its forward movement is prevented until the said group is positively fed forwardly by said pusher.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said stub-feeding means comprises a substantially horizontal guideway to guide stubs towards spaces between cigarette lengths, said guideway having a stub-supporting surface at substantially the level of the said conveyor band, and extending toward the conveyor band in the general direction of movement of the latter, pusher means operable in timed relationship with said abutting means to engage successive stubs and push them along from said guideway into said spaces, means to propel stubs in succession along said guideway into the range of action of said pusher means, and means to arrest the movement of a stub along said guideway until it is engaged by said pusher means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 602,436 Eaton Apr. 19, 1898 1,963,076 Davidson June 19, 1934 2,002,886 Edwards May 28, 1935 2,118,783 May May 24, 1938 2,156,600 Molins May 2, 1939 2,205,943 Davidson June 25, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 180,229 Great Britain May 25, 1922 287,214 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1953 462,748 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1937 666,079 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1952 688,854 Great Britain Mar. 18, 1953 

